San Jacinto (CVL 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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, CHAPTER v y . I.. CHANGE IN COMMAND-OPERATIONS IN, sUPPoRT I or RECAPTURE or LRYTE 4 N 14 October 1944 a new Skipper was assigned to the UlS.S. SAN JACINTO, Captain Michael H. KERN- ODLE, U.S. Navy, taking command. Assuming command of one of the Navy's fast aircraft carriers is a notablevoccasion under ordinary circumstances, accompanied by much pomp and ceremony. But the conditions under which this change of command took place were anything but ordinary. None the customary inspections and drills simulating combat conditions, to acquaint the new Captain with the fighting characteristics of 'his new ship, were necessary. The ship was actually engaged in battle before, during, and after the occasion. On this date, the SAN JACINTO, with her Air Group FIFTY-ONE, was operating against the enemy as a part of famous Carrier Task Force THIRTY-EIGHT, in the waters just east of FORMOSA. The Task Force was supporting the capture of LEYTE by launching air attacks against OKINAWA, FORMOSA, and LUZON, and in so doing, preventing the enemy from using them as bases for staging or reinforcement. , 1 ' The SAN JACINTO and other units of the Task Group to which she was attached, had sortied from SEEADLER HAR- BOR, MANUS ISLAND, on 24 September, to take part in these operations. On 8 October, while the SAN JACINTO was en route to this area, Captain KERNODLE landed on board in a Navy airplane from another aircraft carrier in the Force. Two days later, 10 October, ,aircraft of 'the SAN JACINTO struck the first of at series of all-out blows against OKINAVVA, catching the enemy by surprise and consequently receiving little opposition. Her aircraft strafed and burned twenty-four enemy planes on the ground at NAHA Airiieldg shot down one airborne enemy aircraft,,strafed, bombed, and set afire much of the town of YONABARUQ and torpedoed and sank two cargo ships in NAHA Harbor. On the 12th the japs searched for and found us,'and attacked. SAN JACINTO fighters shot down one single-engined torpedo plane and two twin-engine bombers. Snoopers trailed us throughout the night, and the next day, while the aircraft of our force were attacking FORMOSA in strength, the japs launched their heaviest counter-attacks, the SAN JACINTO being subjected to a par- ticularly violent one. During the day many planes were shot dowii by our fighter patrols, but some enemy aircraft pene- trated the Task Force screen, and at dusk, about eighteen enemy torpedo planes conducted an aggressive coordinated attack against the Task Force. Two picked the SAN JACINTO as their target. Both were promptly shot down by her guns, but not before they had l-aunched their torpedoes. By rapid and skillful maneuvering, the ship evaded both, one passing very close ahead and one close by the stern. However, the day was not over yet. About an hour later, a twin-engine bomber made an attack on our port quarter. The SAN JACINTO, assisted by a destroyer, shot it down before its bomb could be released. This was the new Captain's shakedown. The events of this day presaged accurately many to follow in the months ahead. The new Captain received no respite. The tense atmosphere of action continued. On the morning of the 15th, while the air,- craft of the Force were heavily pounding LUZON, enemy dive bombers again attacked the ship. During a melee in the sky over the formation, our pilots shot down four fighters. Later in the day SAN JACINTO Air Group accounted for five more M12 fighters, making a total of nine for the day. Afteria day of' relative inactivity, the Task Force resumed all-out attacks against LUZON' on the 17th, and our fighter pilots took the measure, of two Jap fighters off the coast of Central LUZON and shot them down. It was on this day that a tragic event' the history of the ship occurred. A fighter plane, landing on deck from a combat mission, bounced heavily and all machine guns accidentally fired, strafing the flight deck and island structure, killing one officer, one man, and wounding twenty- seven others. Captain KERNODLE was among those woundedl Deeply moving and impressive funeral services were held the morning of the l8th,for Lt. fj.g.j R. P. NAMES and T. FQ ROBINSON, Slc. The crew assembled at quarters and stood at rigid attention as Chaplain CORDES performed the final rites. Our colors and those of accompanying ships were at half- mast. A Marine Honor Guard fired the traditional volleys as the flag-draped shrouds were consigned to the deep. The mournful notes of Taps echoed in the stillness of their ship- mates' grief. - Operations against LUZON were continued on the 18th and 19th. On the 20th, our aircraft flew effective missions in sup- port of the landings on LEYTE which began that date. We departed the area on October 21 to rendezvous with another Group and proceed to ULITHI for replenishment, but on 'the' 23rdiword was received that major units of the Jap Fleet were on the move ,and that the long awaited showdown was in the ofling, so we reversed course and returned to the vicinity ofLEYTE and SAMAR. It was on the 23rd that Ensign W. H.- HILE made the 5000th landing aboard. , f 1 The three-day engagement, since designated variously as the Second Battle of the PHILIPPINE SEA, and the Battle df LEYTE GULF, began on the 24th of October with attacks on the two Southernmost of the three widely separated eneiny forces, viz., a Northern, Central, and Southern Force. The Southern Force consisted of two battleships and escorting cruis- ers and destroyers. It was heavily attacked as it moved east- ward in the SULU SEA toward SURIGAO STRAIT, by air- craft from our Task Group. Other Task Groups of our Task Force attacked the larger Central Force of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, and were themselves heavily attacked by enemy land-based aircraft, the PRINCETON being damaged 'Qand subsequently sunk by our own forcesjf s To the keen disappointment of our pilots the SAN JACINTO was assigned only defensive patrols over the Force on the 24th -our Air Group Commander's gripes must have been heard in SAN FRANCISCO! Two enemy reconnaissance planes, how- ever, were intercepted and destroyed. Aircraft from the large carriers in our group heavily damaged the two Nip battleships and one cruiser of the Southern Force and inflicted less severe damage on a cruiser and a destroyer. Our pilots and our men on the ship listened to these accomplishments with pride and envy. . During the night of 24-25 October, our Task Group madf? a rendezvous with the other Task Groups of Task ForCC THIRTY-EIGHT and the entire Force sped northward t0 intercept and engage the enemy Northern Force Qof' four carriers, two battleships, five cruisers, and ten destroyersj, leav- x v I ,f ,j:j.?.fg'2t:f'r?i':j.1:ex29z:fr-sL.i-H-..-iwmzfn-sv1ss'.s2f'm -4 rf --1:-'sv-we-an-uwrw'r-.v..:v.:- 1- azz'-.:.-,--, .--.. . .'- '..'.:::' B

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1 CHAPTER IV PALAUS CAMPAIGN URING the replenrshment perrod at ENIWETOK fol lowmg the MARIAN XS Campargn the SAN JACINTO was detached from Task Force FIFTY EIGHT and assrgned to duty wrth the SECOND Carrler Task Force of Admrral HALSEY S THIRD FLEET In company wxth other unrts of thrs force we sortred from ENIWETOK on 28 August to com mence operatrons agarnst the PALAU ISLANDS by makrng prelrmrnary drverslonary strrkes agamst the BONIN and VOL CANO ISLANDS on 31 August and l and 2 September As rn the prevrous rards ln early August there agarn was no arrborne o posrtlon but flak was mtense and accurate Already damaged lnstallatrons were further severely mauled One Avenger tor pedo plane p1lotedbyL1eutenant Q gj G H W BUSH wxth Lxeutenant KJ gj W G WHITE andj L DELANEY ARM2c as arrcrewmen was h1t by an antr arrcraft burst just as lt went lnto 1ts due Bombs were released and the I'lam1ng plane levelled by the prlot just long enough for the prlot and one crewman fwhrch one rs not knownj to ball out The crew man s parachute farled to open but the prlot landed safely and was rescued by a lrfeguard submarme after coverrng Fighters had drxven off and sunk two enemy small craft whrch put out from shore to attempt capture Lreutenant Q gj BUSH was taken on a war patrol by the submarme and eventually re turned to the shlp two months later Lreutenant Q gy WHITE and DELANEY are mrssrng ln actxon The Task Group retrred southward after the 2 September strrkes and anchored off GARAPAN SAIPAN on 4 Septem ber to re arm On 5 September we got underway and pro ceeded south to the v1c1n1ty of YAP and ULITHI Islands where numerous strrkes were conducted on 6 and 7 September Resultrng devastatron was so great that strrkes scheduled for 8 September were called off and the force proceeded to the vrcrmty of PALAU commencing operatlons agamst PELELIU ANGUAR and NGESEBUS on 10 September Conslderable bad weather was experrenced but enemy arrborne opposrtlon was n1l and numerous and effective strlkes were Hown prepara tory to and 1n support of the landlngs on PELELIU and ANGUAR One Avenger prloted by Lleutenant Qgj F M WATERS wrth H ATUN and P P BENSMAN as alrcrew men was lost w1th 1ts prlot and crew to antr arrcraft ire over PELELIU on 15 September Operatrons were contmued through I8 September at whrch trme the Task Group com menced retlrement toward SEILADLER HARBOR MANUS Admlralty Islands En route proper homage was pald to Neptunus Rex and hrs cohorts of the Order of the Deep as the shrp crossed the Equator the ceremonles provmg of great morale worth to the crew We dropped anchor at MANUS on 21 September to commence a four day re armmg and re plemshment perrod Our part 1n the PALAUS campargn was over and our crulse under Captarn MAR'I IN all but completed for he had hrs orders to new duty and was to be relreved before the next operatron was more than well started On hrs return to the States he was awarded the Leglon of Merrt for hrs SCTVICCS as Commandmg Ofhcer of the SAN JACINTO 1 w 1 x I Scenes from our Crossmg the Lme ceremonzes 1n September. v

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W1 ' rv: . r ' baefmuffd-if--faxing-F . - -- . . . .. . . .. . ' - A 1 . -. ,-is-rnnieanei, t M.- 1 v w W v Na, -,fC,,.,-,,j,,.,,,f:,..,,,.,,,, it-.-., ,,,-..v , ,.,43,,.:gg f -----, , ..... ,-. .... h .m,y,,5,,, r ,L w. L Q1 i. but Lt. fj.g.I BOREN brought it safely home. I r. if if L. y , S E Funeral services are conducted on the flight deck for the late I Lt. fj.g.l NAMES and Seaman First Class ROBINSON. 1 .E l I I r f it Even in the combat zone, Navy traditions are not neglected. Captain KERNODLE , V congratulates Ensign HILE, who got the cake for the sl1ip's 5000th landing, made f in combat off the PHILIPPINES. I Captain Michael H . Kernodle assumes command of the U.S.S. SAN IACINTO, relieving Captain Harold M. Martin. Q , . . .,.,.,,,,,.,..,,., . . . -..-,,.-.A-f-v-Q-..v..-.--v-.4-., - - ' ' ' -4-- -N .f.v--xA-.vQ.-..-.x.. -N-- f - -1. . H ' ' -f rv- .f-.qw .. . . . fm.-V fo- - .,,..,.,,,,,.,,,...,-,:,gv4'0i:xJ4:-F - fm..-., - g -.zgnng-egg-7 N -.rf .- - . - -.,V -- - - - ,. 'j v+ 'v-f-vv- - - A J -4.1-,...v.-.N M . , A A A S- A - -f-A -v-A - -q-,.v, N' Q fn. ---. 1rx':es-.':-r:-:'-:-:'-:'-------'fL'-- 3-5 -m- ' -- f - A ' ' -A x alm rf' mu '6'L'g - - '-1 .A ' ..,- --f-'-v-W 1- -M-1-MG. vw,-.-' ' f '.z.-.,-.4 v. T ' ' ' '-1 ...-s'-- s - A-- ' qi. 1, I I M '11 1 1 1 an ,4 1 This torpedo plane was badly shot up W in the attack on the Iap fleet, 3